This presentation examines the key components of successful multidisciplinary limb preservation programs, which require coordinated care across multiple specialties. Faculty will explore evidence-based models for multidisciplinary limb preservation programs, strategies to improve communication and care transitions, and approaches to optimizing patient outcomes while reducing amputation risk. Attendees will gain practical insights into team structure, referral pathways, and collaborative decision-making through real-world case examples.

This case-based presentation examines the challenges of identifying and managing wound infection and biofilm across clinical settings. Through real-world cases, faculty will discuss diagnostic strategies, subtle clinical indicators, biofilm-related healing delays, and evidence-based treatment approaches. Attendees will gain practical insights to improve diagnostic accuracy, initiate timely interventions, and support optimal healing outcomes.

This interactive panel discussion brings together experts in infectious disease, surgery, and podiatry to explore contemporary approaches to diagnosing and treating osteomyelitis in patients with wounds. Through multiple clinical perspectives, faculty will discuss imaging, pathology, culture acquisition, and the management of acute and chronic osteomyelitis across anatomical locations. Attendees will gain practical insights into multidisciplinary decision-making and evidence-based strategies for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

This presentation provides a foundational review of the principles that drive successful wound healing. Faculty will discuss the phases of healing, factors contributing to chronicity, systematic wound assessment, and evidence-based treatment strategies. Attendees will gain an understanding of core wound care concepts that support confident clinical practice and improved patient outcomes.

Wound care clinicians routinely assess perfusion, pressure, nutrition, and bioburden — yet the medication list is rarely examined as a modifiable cause of delayed healing. In post-acute care, where most patients are older adults with multiple chronic conditions, polypharmacy is the norm, and many commonly prescribed agents act directly on the cellular machinery of repair. This moderated panel brings two pharmacists with expertise in geriatric pharmacotherapy and post-acute consultant practice into dialogue with a geriatrician and certified wound specialist physician. Panelists will review how specific drug classes impair healing: corticosteroids through suppression of fibroblast proliferation, collagen synthesis, and angiogenesis; anticoagulants through cutaneous necrosis and bleeding risk; proton pump inhibitors through micronutrient malabsorption; and antibiotics through effects on collagen cross-linking and tensile strength when used without confirmed infection. The panel will also address glucose-lowering therapy and the consequences of both inadequate and overly aggressive glycemic management in diabetic foot ulcers. The session then turns to intervention, describing practical approaches to medication review and deprescribing — including use of the AGS Beers Criteria®, assessment of anticholinergic and sedative burden, and management of drug-drug and drug-disease interactions. Particular attention will be paid to how age-related changes in renal and hepatic function, frailty, and goals of care reshape the risk-benefit calculation for older adults. Attendees will leave with a structured framework for identifying medication-related barriers to healing and for initiating collaborative conversations with prescribers, consultant pharmacists, and patients.

This presentation explores the role of behavior, lifestyle, and nutrition in comprehensive wound management. Faculty will discuss evidence supporting holistic care principles and practical strategies for integrating patient-centered interventions into clinical practice. Attendees will gain an understanding of how these factors influence healing and long-term outcomes.

This presentation provides an overview of pain physiology, pain perception, and evidence-based approaches to pain management in wound care. Faculty will discuss topical and systemic therapies, opioid and non-opioid options, and complementary strategies that support holistic pain control. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to develop individualized pain management plans that enhance comfort and quality of life.

This presentation examines emerging methods for predicting wound healing trajectories. Faculty will discuss clinical phenotypes, biomarkers, molecular signatures, and data-driven approaches that may improve prognostic accuracy. Attendees will gain an understanding of how predictive tools can support personalized treatment planning and clinical decision-making.

This presentation examines best practices for managing wounds following surgical reconstruction. Faculty will discuss interdisciplinary collaboration, advanced wound care technologies, common complications, and strategies to support successful healing. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to coordinate postoperative wound management and avoid common pitfalls.

Lunch served until 1:45 PM

This presentation explores the unique contributions of physical therapists within the wound care team. Faculty will discuss mobility, functional assessment, edema management, exercise, and other interventions that support wound healing. Attendees will gain an understanding of how physical therapy collaboration can enhance outcomes and strengthen interdisciplinary care.

The rapid rise of GLP-1 receptor agonists has transformed obesity management, creating new opportunities and challenges for wound care clinicians. This session explores the impact of GLP-1 therapies on nutrition, metabolism, tissue repair, and wound healing. Faculty will discuss strategies for identifying and managing nutritional deficiencies, delayed healing, sarcopenia, and other treatment-related considerations. Through evidence-based guidance and clinical case examples, attendees will gain practical approaches to integrating medical management, nutrition, rehabilitation, and wound care to optimize patient outcomes.

This presentation explores the evolving continuum of wound debridement and its role in optimizing the wound healing environment. Faculty will discuss sharp, mechanical, ultrasonic, hydrosurgical, enzymatic, autolytic, and biologic debridement strategies, including their impact on biofilm management and wound bed preparation. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to select and sequence debridement interventions based on wound characteristics, patient needs, and treatment goals.

This presentation provides an overview of pharmacologic and nutraceutical therapies that influence wound healing. Faculty will discuss immunotherapies, biologics, nutraceuticals, and the positive and negative effects these agents may have on tissue repair. Attendees will gain an understanding of how medication-related factors can affect healing and clinical decision-making.

This presentation explores practical approaches to managing cancer wounds and their associated symptoms. Faculty will discuss strategies for controlling exudate, odor, bleeding, infection, and the effects of cancer therapies on wound healing. Attendees will gain an understanding of evidence-based interventions that improve comfort, function, and quality of life for patients with primary or metastatic cutaneous malignancies.

This presentation will provide a practical overview of the evidence, indications, and best practices for integrating oxygen therapy and negative pressure wound therapy into the management of complex wounds. Faculty will examine patient selection, timing of intervention, clinical decision-making, and strategies for combining these modalities with comprehensive wound care to optimize healing outcomes. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of current evidence, common pitfalls, and implementation strategies that can be applied across a variety of care settings to improve patient outcomes.

Lunch served until 1:45 PM

This presentation explores the opportunities and challenges associated with social media use in healthcare. Faculty will discuss strategies for establishing professional credibility, creating meaningful content, addressing misinformation, and engaging patients responsibly. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to leverage social media effectively while maintaining ethical and professional standards.

Designed as an interactive networking session, this debate-style program brings attendees together for roundtable discussions while experts present two contrasting perspectives on the science and ongoing controversies surrounding skin failure. Faculty will examine proposed mechanisms, histopathologic findings, diagnostic challenges, and regulatory considerations associated with skin breakdown in critically ill and medically complex patients. Through expert debate and peer-to-peer discussion, attendees will gain a balanced understanding of the evidence, current knowledge gaps, and priorities for future research.

Using a case-based approach, this presentation explores modern wound measurement and digital imaging technologies. Faculty will review validated tools, clinical applications, and best practices for accurately tracking healing across a variety of wound types through real-world patient cases. Attendees will gain practical insights into improving wound assessment, documentation, and treatment evaluation.

 This session returns as a staple of SAWC Spring! Now reimagined as an interactive networking session, this program brings attendees together in roundtable discussions with a diverse panel to explore clinical cases, discuss underlying pathology and causes, and share specific management strategies to address these challenges—bringing real-world cases from the “bedside” to the “bench” and back again.

This presentation provides an overview of upcoming mandatory pressure injury reporting requirements and their implications for healthcare organizations. Faculty will discuss measure specifications, documentation expectations, and strategies for accurate skin assessment and reporting. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to prepare for implementation while supporting patient safety and quality improvement initiatives.

This presentation explores emerging approaches to identifying infection risk before clinical signs become apparent. Faculty will discuss dysregulated inflammation, host-response markers, microbial signals, and other early indicators of infection. Attendees will gain an understanding of how predictive technologies may enable earlier intervention and improved wound outcomes.

This presentation examines the clinical complexities of factitious wounds. Faculty will discuss diagnostic clues, common pitfalls, interdisciplinary management strategies, and approaches to collaborative care. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to recognize self-inflicted wounds and support appropriate evaluation and treatment.

This presentation examines the role of point-of-care ultrasound in wound assessment and diagnosis. Faculty will discuss the identification of tunneling, undermining, abscesses, foreign bodies, osteomyelitis, and other hidden pathologies using portable imaging technology. Attendees will gain an understanding of how ultrasound can enhance clinical evaluation and guide treatment decisions.

Designed as an interactive networking session, this program brings attendees together in roundtable discussions to explore the latest advances in the prevention, assessment, and management of diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers. Faculty will facilitate conversations on emerging evidence and multidisciplinary treatment strategies. Participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences with peers while gaining practical insights they can apply to improve patient outcomes and address common practice gaps.

This presentation explores comprehensive pressure redistribution strategies across the continuum of care. Faculty will discuss positioning, support surfaces, patient-specific risk factors, and interdisciplinary approaches to pressure injury prevention. Attendees will gain an understanding of how to implement effective pressure relief plans that support tissue protection and healing.

This presentation examines the fundamentals of biologic pharmaceuticals and their impact on wound healing. Faculty will discuss biologic development, nomenclature, mechanisms of action, and how these therapies may either promote or impair tissue repair. Attendees will gain an understanding of the clinical implications of biologics and their growing role in wound care management.

This presentation explores the relationship between aging, biological age, and wound healing outcomes. Faculty will discuss cellular and molecular aging, methods for assessing biological age, and interventions that address sarcopenia, malnutrition, and functional decline. Attendees will gain an understanding of how aging-related factors influence healing and how targeted strategies may improve recovery.

This presentation examines communication strategies that strengthen patient relationships in an increasingly technology-driven healthcare environment. Faculty will discuss techniques for fostering trust, delivering difficult news, and maintaining meaningful dialogue during complex clinical encounters. Attendees will gain an understanding of how effective communication supports engagement, adherence, and patient-centered care.

This presentation explores the implications of updated hidradenitis suppurativa treatment guidelines for wound care clinicians. Faculty will discuss case-based applications of medical and surgical therapies across varying levels of disease severity. Attendees will gain an understanding of how guideline-directed care can be integrated into wound management strategies.

 This presentation will introduce skin bioprinting as an emerging technology in wound healing, highlighting its ability to generate patient-specific, multilayered skin constructs that recapitulate native tissue architecture. Faculty will discuss current clinical challenges, translational opportunities, and how this technology may redefine future standards of care across surgical and wound management disciplines. Attendees will gain insight into how bioprinting can enhance graft integration, reduce donor-site morbidity, and improve healing outcomes in complex and chronic wounds.